Wall Fastener with Knife Blade and a String

ABSTRACT

A wall fastener includes a nut having a major planar structure having a hole for receiving a screw, the major planar structure having a first end with two staggered knife edges on opposite sides of the major planar structure and a second end; and a string, wherein the string is detachably connected to the major planar structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplications Ser. Nos. 61/079,450 and 61/089,173, filed on Jul. 10, 2008and Aug. 15, 2008, respectively. The entire contents of the provisionalapplications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a wall fastener. More particularly,the present disclosure relates to a nut for a wall fastener for use inapplications where it is difficult to gain access behind drywall to holda nut while a bolt attaches to the nut.

BACKGROUND

Fasteners made from plastic or metal which attach themselves to a wallby expanding into a pre-drilled hole are known in the art. Drywall(e.g., Sheetrock®) is generally made from gypsum or plaster and does nothave any appreciable anchoring strength to accommodate surface fastenersfor the support of mirrors, paintings, kitchen and bathroom fixtures,curtain rods, etc.

Other types of fasteners such as plaster screws generally tend to pullfree from drywall when slight stresses are applied because drywallcomposition provides little anchoring support for these types offasteners.

Other fasteners are known as toggle-bolt type where the cross-membercollapses to insert into the wall and then once through the hole, opensand can not be pulled back out. Due to the collapsible mechanisms theyare complex and require a large hole through the wall. They aretherefore less desirable, especially when multiple holes are required inclose proximity to each other.

Many fasteners require considerable space in the back of the wall boardwhich is not always available. Particularly, in buildings constructedwith concrete blocks or having a poured concrete wall. In this instance,the drywall is typically attached to the concrete wall by shallowfurring strips.

Accordingly, there remains a need for a wall fastener that can overcomethe above-identified limitations. It will be clear to those of ordinaryskill in the art, that the disclosed wall fastener can be used withother types of walls, in addition to drywall.

SUMMARY

A wall fastener system is described herein, and in particular, a nut fora wall fastener is described. The nut for the wall fastener comprises amajor planar structure having a hole for receiving a screw or bolt, themajor planar structure having a first end with one or more staggeredknife edges and a second end; and a string forming a loop, wherein thestring loop is detachably connected to the major planar structure in anarea adjacent to the hole for receiving the screw.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a nut for the wall fasteneraccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a nut for the wall fasteneraccording to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a nut for the wall fasteneraccording to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The term “wall” and “drywall” are used interchangeably in the presentdisclosure and refer to the common construction product made from gypsumor plaster to form walls for finishing construction of interior wallsand ceilings.

The wall fastener described herein is preferably made from a metal or ametal alloy. In an exemplary embodiment, the wall fastener is made of ametal or metal alloy such as steel, tempered steel, stainless steel,titanium, brass, bronze, monel, and/or silicon bronze. However, one ofordinary skill in the art may find that other materials are alsosuitable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the nut 10 for the wall fastener has a major planarstructure referred to as the plate-nut 20 in this disclosure. Theplate-nut 20 has a first end 40 for guiding and inserting into the walland a second end 50 with a notch 90 where a screwdriver blade can beinserted sideways. The notch 90 aids in positioning and insertion of thewall fastener onto and inside the wall. However, some embodiments maynot include the notch 90.

The first end 40 has two staggered knife blades 60 and 70 at oppositesides (see FIG. 1). This configuration of the two staggered knife bladesat opposite sides permits both blades to cut differently from each otheras to cutting depth, pressure distribution, while hammering into thewall. This may help to avoid damage to the backside of the wall,especially at the point of exit of the wall fastener.

The presently described nut 10 for the wall fastener can be installed bydrilling a hole 15 in a wall 25. In an exemplary embodiment, the drilledhole can be about 5.0 mm or about 3/16 inch in diameter. Then, the firstend 40 of the plate-nut 20 can be inserted into the drilled hole.Insertion of the plate-nut 20 can be aided by hammering until theplate-nut 20 is flush with the wall. A protruding portion of theplate-nut 20 can be pushed through the wall with a nail or a small screwdriver while holding on to a loop of string 80 which is connected to theplate-nut 20 via holes 100. A longitudinal axis of the plate-nut isidentified by reference numeral 45.

The plate-nut 20 includes a hole 30 in a central portion thereof forreceiving a screw or bolt. The hole 30 is surrounded by a flange 75 thatextends from one surface of the otherwise flat plane of the plate-nut20.

As the plate-nut 20 passes through the wall, the plate-nut 20 createstwo slots on opposite sides of the hole 15. After the plate-nut 20 hascompletely passed through the wall, the string loop 80 is pulled toposition the plate-nut 20, as desired, parallel to and on the backsideof the wall 25. Pulling on the string loop 80 will cause the string loop80 to move into the newly created slots and will position the plate-nut20 such that the hole 30 in the plate-nut is aligned with the drilledhole 15 in the wall 25. Tension can also be applied to the string loop80 while inserting the screw to aid in engaging the screw with the hole30 in the plate-nut 20. Because of the arrangement of the holes 100, thestring loop 80 will prevent the plate nut 20 from rotating while thescrew is being applied. After the screw is inserted into the hole 30 thestring loop 80 can be removed by using a pair of scissors or a knife.

The string of the string loop 80 can be made of any suitable material,such as nylon, and can be optionally cut with a common cuttinginstrument such as a pair of scissors or a knife. For example, thestring loop can be made from plastic, metal and/or a natural fiber.

In an exemplary embodiment, the wall fastener is about 11 mm wide andabout 25 mm long. The hole 30 is about 3.2 mm in diameter. The notch 90is about 4.75 mm deep, and the portion of the leading edge between theedges 60 and 70 is about 3 mm wide. However, other dimensions can alsoused.

Some of the advantages of the wall fastener described herein and shownin FIG. 1 include: (i) small size and good load bearing capacity, (ii)compared to its load bearing capacity the wall fastener has minimalintrusion into the dry-wall thus minimizing the hole in the wall at thepoint of entry, (iii) minimal to no damage to the backside of the wallcompared to expansion type wall fasteners, (iv) no special tools arerequired to install, (v) easy to install, (vi) easy to manufacture dueto its simple construction, (vii) inexpensive to produce, (viii) severalof these fasteners can be installed in close proximity of each otherwithout significantly impacting the strength and integrity of the wallbecause the presently described wall fastener causes minimal intrusionand damage compared with traditional expansion type wall fasteners, and(ix) desirable as a replacement fastener where other expansion typefasteners have failed.

In the above disclosed embodiment 10, the knife edges are staggered andare arranged at an angle of about 26 degrees from the longitudinal axis45 of the nut 10. However, in an alternative embodiment 100, illustratedin FIG. 2, the knife edges 160, 170 are not staggered, and they arearranged at an angle of about 19 degrees from the longitudinal axis 145of the plate-nut 120. In the alternative embodiment 100, because theknife edges 160, 170 are not staggered, the plate-nut 120 issymmetrical. The remaining features of the second embodiment 100 aresubstantially the same as the first embodiment 10. Correspondingreference numerals have been increased by 100 in the second embodiment.

A third embodiment 200 is shown in FIG. 3. The nut for the wall fastener200 has a major planar structure referred to as the plate-nut 220 inthis disclosure. The plate-nut 220 has a first end 240 for guiding andinserting into a wall 225 and a second end 250 with a notch 290 where ascrewdriver blade can be inserted sideways. The notch 290 aids inpositioning and insertion of the wall fastener onto and inside the wall225. However, some embodiments may not include the notch 290.

The first end 240 has knife edges 260, 270 that are not staggered. Theknife edges 260, 270 are arranged at an angle of about 19 degrees fromthe longitudinal axis 245 of the plate-nut 220.

The plate-nut 220 includes a hole 230 in a central portion thereof forreceiving a screw or bolt. The hole 230 is surrounded by a flange 275that extends from one surface of the otherwise flat plane of theplate-nut 220.

The presently described nut for the wall fastener 200 can be installedby drilling a hole 215 in the wall 225. In an exemplary embodiment, thedrilled hole 215 can be about 5.0 mm or about 3/16 inch in diameter.Then, the first end 240 of the plate-nut 220 can be inserted into thedrilled hole. Insertion of the plate-nut 220 can be aided by hammeringuntil the plate-nut 220 is flush with the wall. A protruding portion ofthe plate-nut 220 can be pushed through the wall with a nail or a smallscrew driver while holding on to a string 280 which is connected to theplate-nut 220 via a hole 300 provided in the flange 275 of the hole 230.The string 280 can be a simple straight length of string, or it can havea loop formed at the end of it to facilitate holding. The diameter ofthe hole may be about 0.8 mm.

The string can be threaded through the hole and secured to the plate-nutby having a stop at the end of the string that will not pass through thehole. The stop can be simply a knot or a melted portion of the string.Alternatively, a notch in the flange can be used instead of the hole300.

As the plate-nut 220 passes through the wall, the plate-nut 220 createstwo slots on opposite sides of the hole. After the plate-nut 220 iscompletely through the wall, the string loop 280 is pulled to positionthe plate-nut 220, as desired, parallel to and on the backside of thewall. Pulling on the string loop 280 in an upward direction will causethe string loop 280 to move into the newly created slot at the top, andpositions the plate-nut 220 such that the hole 230 in the plate-nut isaligned with the drilled hole in the wall. Gravity will ensure that theplate-nut 220 swings down so that the hole 230 is in alignment with thehole drilled in the wall. Tension can also be applied to a string loop280 while inserting the screw to aid in engaging the screw with the hole230 in the plate-nut 220. After the screw is inserted into the hole 230the string loop 280 can be removed by using a pair of scissors or aknife.

The string of the string loop 280 can be made of any suitable material,such as nylon, and can be optionally cut with a common cuttinginstrument such as a pair of scissors or a knife. For example, thestring loop can be made from plastic, metal and/or a natural fiber. Thestring 280 may have sufficient stiffness that when the nut-plate 220 isfirst pushed through the wall, the nut-plate 220 hangs by the string 280such that the bottom of the nut-plate 220 is touching the back of thewall, but the top end 240 of the nut-plate remains spaced from the wall.As the string 280 is pulled, then the nut-plate lies flush against thewall.

In all of the exemplary embodiments, the wall fastener is preferablyabout 11 mm wide and about 25 mm long. The hole 30, 130, 230 ispreferably about 3.2 mm in diameter. The notch 90, 190, and 290 ispreferably about 4.75 mm deep, and the portion of the leading edgebetween the edges 60, 160, 260 and 70, 170, 270 is preferably about 3 mmwide. However, other dimensions can also used.

Additional embodiments are also contemplated. For example, and withoutlimitation, the third embodiment can also be made with staggered knifeedges, such as are used in the first embodiment.

Some of the advantages of the wall fastener described herein include:(i) small size and good load bearing capacity, (ii) compared to its loadbearing capacity the wall fastener has minimal intrusion into thedry-wall thus minimizing the hole in the wall at the point of entry,(iii) minimal to no damage to the backside of the wall compared toexpansion type wall fasteners, (iv) no special tools are required toinstall, (v) easy to install, (vi) easy to manufacture due to its simpleconstruction, (vii) inexpensive to produce, (viii) several of thesefasteners can be installed in close proximity of each other withoutsignificantly impacting the strength and integrity of the wall becausethe presently described wall fastener causes minimal intrusion anddamage compared with traditional expansion type wall fasteners, and (ix)desirable as a replacement fastener where other expansion type fastenershave failed.

Although only preferred embodiments are specifically illustrated anddescribed herein, it will be appreciated that many modifications andvariations of the present invention are possible in light of the aboveteachings and within the purview of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

1. A nut for a wall fastener comprising: a planar structure having amain hole for receiving a screw, the planar structure having a knifeedge at the first end and a second end; and a string detachablyconnected to the planar structure in an area adjacent to the main hole.2. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 1, wherein the nut is made of ametal or a metal alloy.
 3. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 1,wherein the nut is made of steel, tempered steel, stainless steel,titanium, brass, bronze, monel, and/or silicon bronze.
 4. The nut for awall fastener of claim 1, wherein the major planar structure is about 11mm wide and about 25 mm long.
 5. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 1,wherein the string is made from plastic and/or a natural fiber.
 6. Thenut for a wall fastener of claim 1, wherein the planar structureincludes two staggered knife edges.
 7. The nut for a wall fastener ofclaim 1, wherein the planar structure includes two string holes throughwhich a loop of string extends, and the two holes are on opposite sidesof the main hole.
 8. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 1, wherein theplanar structure includes a flange surrounding the main hole and asmaller hole extending through the flange, and the string is fastenedthrough the smaller hole.
 9. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 1,wherein the planar structure includes a notch at the second end.
 10. Thenut for a wall fastener of claim 1, wherein the planar structureincludes two knife edges arranged symmetrically on the planar structure.11. A method of securing a wall fastener to a wall, the methodcomprising: providing a nut having a planar structure with a main holefor receiving a screw, the planar structure having a first end with aknife edge and a second end; and a string, wherein the string isdetachably connected to the planar structure in an area adjacent to themain hole; driving the nut through the wall so that the nut passesthrough to a back side of the wall; applying tension to the string so asto draw the nut parallel to the back side of the wall; and inserting ascrew through the wall into the main hole of the planar structure. 12.The method of claim 10, further comprising making a small hole in thewall prior to driving the nut through the wall and driving the nutthrough the small hole in the wall, wherein the nut enlargens the smallhole as it is being driven through the wall by creating slots onopposite sides of the small hole.
 13. A nut for a wall fastenercomprising: a major planar structure having a hole for receiving ascrew, the major planar structure having a first end with two staggeredknife edges on opposite sides of the major planar structure and a secondend having a notch; and a string forming a loop, wherein the string loopis detachably connected to the major planar structure via two holes onthe major planar structure, wherein the two holes are separated by thehole for receiving the screw.
 14. The nut for a wall fastener of claim13, wherein is made of a metal or metal alloy.
 15. The nut for a wallfastener of claim 13, wherein the nut is made of steel, tempered steel,stainless steel, titanium, brass, bronze, monel, and/or silicon bronze.16. The nut for a wall fastener of claim 13, wherein the major planarstructure is about 11 mm wide and about 25 mm long.
 17. The nut for awall fastener of claim 13, wherein the major planar structure of thewall fastener has a width to length ratio of about 1:2.
 18. The nut fora wall fastener of claim 13, wherein the string is made from plasticand/or a natural fiber.